Smoker conversion kit

ABSTRACT

This invention is to be used primarily to convert a traditional charcoal grill into a multifaceted smoker with wet and dry smoking capabilities. Furthermore, novel racks within the invention allow the user to utilize all of the space within the smoker providing for more food cooked over a given time frame. The invention also included a removal tray allowing access to the fuel and liquid pan with only negligible heat loss and no risk of damage to the contents of the smoker or the surface upon which the smoker is placed when removed from the primary heat source.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

U.S. Patent Documents 4,467,709 Aug., 1984 Anstedt 126/9R 4,512,249Apr., 1985 Mentzel 126/9R 5,768,977 Jan., 1998 Dabbett 126/9R 5,909,729Jan., 1999 Nowicke, 126/25R 6,016,797 Jan., 2000 Nowicke 126/25R

DESCRIPTION Statement Regarding Federally Sponsored Research andDevelopment

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO A “SEQUENTIAL LISTING,” A TABLE, OR COMPUTER PROGRAMLISTING APPENDIX SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Technical Field of Invention

The technical field of the invention is aftermarket smoker conversionkits or systems for kettle grill or other charcoal burning grills. Theconversion kit could also be sold along with or accompanying grillsproviding the ability to utilize a typical grill as a deluxe,multi-functional smoker as well.

(2) Description of Prior Art

Throughout the years there have been patented inventions that utilizesome sort of apparatus to attempt to convert a kettle grill used forgrilling various foods into a smoker, or slow cooker. Some of theseinventions have been relatively successful at their intended result, andsome have not. The present invention expands upon these inventions tothe extent that it eliminates problems not addressed or solved inprevious inventions.

At the core of any smoker conversion apparatus is the cylinder that mustbe placed in between the bottom portion of the grill which houses thefuel, or charcoal, and usually provides a support structure for thegrilling rack and the upper portion of the grill which provides a coverfor the grill and is utilized primarily to retain heat. This cylinderexpands the interior space of the grill providing for an area in whichthe “smoking” can take place. The inner components of prior inventionslack functionality when compared to the present invention and itsability to utilize the given space. The design of the lower edge of thechamber provides for improved stability over prior art in that it has aflat surface at its lower edge and a downturn of the lip at that edge.The provides for improved safety as well as ease of use. The presentinvention provides for larger or more expansive grilling and/or smokingand slow-cooking capacities through the use of a novel dome rack systemused in conjunction with grilling racks. This is an improvement over theprior art.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is an apparatus that consists of multiplecomponents, including but not limited to, a smoker chamber, a dome rack,at least one grill rack, a large tray, a heat resistant pan and amulti-purpose pan support rack.

The smoker chamber is a hollow cylindrical, rectangular or square bodycomprised of heat tolerant material, such as but not limited to,aluminum or metal. The chamber will be coated in a heat and corrosionresistant paint on both its exterior surface. This smoker chamber willrest on top of the existing grill bottom portion and underneath the topor upper portion of said grill in such a way as to form a seal thatprevents the loss of both heat and smoke.

The chamber will have a telemetry port or hole on its side which willalso have an accompanying plug or stopper to prevent loss of heat orsmoke. This port will allow the user to test both temperature andmoisture content within the smoker itself. The port also allows for theinsertion of electronic monitoring devices through the sidewall of thechamber. The chamber is further fitted with heat resistant handles onits exterior surface for movement of the chamber, even when in use. Onthe interior surface of the chamber are corresponding support bracketsto accommodate grill racks at different distances from the heat sourceand smoker pan.

One novel aspect of the smoker conversion kit is the domed grilling rackwhich allows the user to smoke or slow cook several whole fish,lobsters, whole hams or any number of longer profiled food items. Thedomed grilling rack rest on support brackets at the top or upper portionof the smoker chamber. It is comprised of two or more horizontal supportstructures, with the bottom most support structure having a diameter andshape matching the inner diameter and shape of the smoker chamber.Multiple upright or vertical support structures connect the horizontalsupport structures forming the dome shaped rack. These upright supportstructures curve in towards the center of the apparatus forming a domeshape. This dome rack extends upward into the interior space providedfor within the top of the existing grill.

Multiple meat hooks can be removably attached to the dome shaped rackallowing meats to hang vertically within the smoker chamber. If thegrill racks are removed from the grill or within the smoker chamberitself, large pieces of meat as long as two feet can be hung within theapparatus.

For moist smoking processes, a pan is necessary to be used inconjunction with the fuel or heat source. This invention provides foruse of a heat resistant pan of sufficient size to accommodate severalquarts of liquid. The pan has a lip extending outward about its upperperipheral edge.

The pan is placed upon or within the pan support rack, which can servemultiple functions in the smoking and grilling areas of use. The pansupport rack, like the dome rack, has a plurality of horizontal supportstructures with the bottom most support structure having a greaterdiameter than the upper most horizontal support structure. Accompanyingvertical support structures tie the pan rack together and bend inward.The upper most horizontal support structure corresponds to the diameterand circumference of the lip of the pan itself. As a result, the panrests within the pan support rack. The pan support rack gives sufficientvertical clearance when used in conjunction with the pan itself for fuelsources and/or smoker chips to be added below the pan withoutinterference with the effectiveness of the grill or smoker.

Furthermore, the pan support can be rotated onto its vertical or uppersurface to accommodate the pan providing the user with the option to wetgrill meat or other items without the use of the smoker chamber.

The smoker conversion kit also comes with a large flat tray that isutilized in removing the entire apparatus while the user adds fuel orliquid to the lower half of the grill. This tray is comprised of heatresistant material and has attached to it, heat resistant handles. Theuser can leave the lid on the smoker chamber and use the smokerchamber's exterior handles to place said chamber and lid onto the trayas opposed to a surface in which the chamber could collect dirt or asurface in which the contents of the smoker could damage due to drippingor heat. Another added benefit of the tray is that the contents continueto cook as heat is not lost through the bottom of the chamber when incontact with the tray.

Moreover, the tray can be fitted with folding legs so as to stand aloneeliminating the need to place the tray on another surface such as acounter-top or the ground.

The novel aspects of the invention include the domed rack, the pan rackand the use of the other aspects of the invention in conjunction withthese racks to form a smoker conversion different and novel in view ofprior art. Furthermore, there are added safety benefits with the use ofthis invention over prior art due to the connective nature of thesurface, the apparatus can be placed on a grill without the use of clipsor flanges.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1. illustrates the invention is use in conjunction with an existinggrill with the smoker chamber visible.

FIG. 2. illustrates the invention from a side profile with elements ofthe invention in view.

FIG. 3. illustrates a majority of the components of the invention.

FIG. 4. Illustrates the side profile of the invention allowing viewingwithin the invention itself.

FIG. 5. Illustrates the invention as viewed from the top.

FIG. 6. Illustrates another view from the top with more grill spaceadded in addition to that disclosed before.

FIG. 7. Illustrates the tray aspect of the invention with the legsfolded into a locked position not in use.

FIG. 8. Illustrates the tray aspect of the invention with the legsextended for use.

FIG. 9. Illustrates the invention with the conversion components in fullview.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1 through FIG. 9, the invention in comprised primarilyof a smoker chamber (25), a dome rack (26), at least one grill rack(31), a large tray (34), a heat resistant pan (30) and a multi-purposepan support rack (28).

Referring to FIG. 1 through FIG. 5 and FIG. 9, the smoker chamber (25)is constructed to a specific size so as to allow conversion of anexisting grill or grill template into a smoker. As such, the size andshape of the chamber (25) can vary depending on the needs of the userand the grill in which the user has access. The smoker chamber (25) willhave an upper and lower lip (29) around its top and bottom peripheraledges to provide for a proper seal when used in conjunction with anexisting grill. Ideally, the upper lip (29) will rest just inside thebottom portion of the lid (22) of the existing grill. Likewise, thelower lip (29) will securely fit inside or within the bottom portion(21) of the existing grill. The seal formed at the top and bottom shouldbe of such a nature that heat and smoke will not easily escape when thegrill and smoker conversion kit are in use. On the chamber's (25)exterior surface are at least two heat resistant handles (24) spaced onopposite sides of the chamber (25) so as to allow balanced movement ofthe chamber (25) and its components. The chamber (25) should becomprised of a heat tolerant material such as metal and should be coatedin a heat resistant paint on its interior and exterior surfaces. Thechamber (25) also has a telemetry port (23) which allows the user totest temperature and moisture content within the smoker when in use. Theport (23) has an accompanying plug or stopper so no heat, smoke, ormoisture is lost when the port (23) is not being used. Further, thechamber has corresponding support brackets (32) around its interiorsurface to accommodate grill racks (31) at different levels within thechamber (25).

Referring to FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 as well as FIG. 8, the interior aspects ofthe invention are the dome rack (26) with accompanying meat hooks (27),the pan (30) with accompanying pan rack (28), the grill rack or racks(31) which rest on the support brackets (32) attached to the interiorsurface of the chamber (25). The dome rack (26) is a very novel aspectof the invention in that it provides for use in cooking or smoking largepieces of food within a relatively small space. The dome rack (26) iscomprised of horizontal and vertical support structures, with thevertical structures bending inward forming a “dome” shape. The lowermosthorizontal support structure rests on support brackets (32) within thechamber (25). The dome rack (26) should be comprised of a heat tolerantmaterial such as steel or metal. Meat hooks (27) can be attached to thevertical support structures and large pieces of meat, or other food, canbe hung vertically within the chamber (25). The meat hooks are removablyattached to the dome rack (26) and utilize gravity and the weight of thefood attached thereto to secure the hooks (27) in place. The hooks (27),like the rest of the invention, should be comprised of a heat tolerantto heat resistant material.

Referring to FIG. 2 through 4 and FIG. 8, the invention utilizes aliquid pan (30) that has a lip around its peripheral edge. This pan (30)is used to hold liquid and/or wood chips for smoking the contents of thesmoker and can also be utilized in wet grilling applications with thechamber (25) is not in use. The pan (30) is held in place by a pan rack(28), which like the dome rack (26), has horizontal and vertical supportstructures. The pan (30) and pan rack (28) will rest inside the existingbottom portion (21) of the grill. The upper most horizontal supportstructure is approximately the diameter of the lip around the pan (30),allowing the pan (30) to rest inside the pan rack (28). The pan rack(28) gives sufficient vertical clearance over the heat source so as notto disturb or impede said heat source. The pan (30) should be comprisedof a heat tolerant substance that has the ability to transfer heat toits contents without a breakdown of the material comprising the pan (30)itself due to direct contact with the heat source. Likewise, the panrack (28) should be comprised of a heat tolerant material which is alsovery sturdy, such as metal or steel.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 7 in particular, another aspect of theinvention that can be used in conjunction with the removal of thechamber (25) is the tray (34). The tray (34) is comprised of heattolerant material. It has corresponding handles (24) and a lip (35)about its peripheral edge to prevent contents within the smoker fromsoiling the surfaces upon which the tray is placed. A unique feature tothe tray is that it has attached to its bottom surface folding legs (36)which allows the user the option to have said tray (34) elevated or notelevated. The tray (34) should be of sufficient size to accommodate theplacement of the chamber (25) within the vertical lip (35) of said tray(34).

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 9, if the user desires to convert his grillto a smoker utilizing this invention, the user should first remove thetop or lid (22) from the existing grill. The user will then remove thegrill rack (31) that comes standard with the grill. The fuel or heatsource will then be placed within the bottom portion (21) of theexisting grill. The pan rack (28) and pan (30) will then be placed overthe heat source. The user can place the desire liquid and/or aromaticsolid within the pan. The user can, if desired, place the removed grillrack (31) back in place. The smoker chamber (25) will then be placed ontop of the bottom portion of the grill (21). If the user desires, grillracks (31) can be placed onto support brackets (32) within the chamber(25) and food placed on the racks (31). The dome rack (26) is thenplaced on the upper most support brackets (32) within the chamber (25)and meat, or other foods, can be hung from the dome rack (26) by themeat hooks (27). The top portion or lid (22) of the existing grill isthen placed upon the upper lip (29) of the chamber (25). The inventionis now in place and ready to be used. The chamber (25) can be removedand placed on the tray (34) for removal of food within the chamber (25),or for addition of contents to the pan (30) and adjustment of the heatsource.

DRAWINGS

The drawings referenced in this application are attached hereto.

1. A smoker conversion apparatus consisting of: an upright smokerchamber having an open top and bottom; the chamber being fitted withcorresponding support brackets around its interior surface and heatresistant handles on its exterior surface; the chamber being able toposition in a sealable fashion between the bottom portion of an existinggrill and the grill lid or top portion of an existing grill; a dome rackhaving horizontal support structures attached in a fixed manner tovertical support structures; the top horizontal support structure beingsmaller in diameter than the other horizontal support structures; thevertical support structures being contoured to attach to the horizontalsupport structures of varying diameters and being further contoured toconform to the shape of the existing grill lid or top portion; one ormore grill racks of corresponding size and shape to the existing grill;a large tray of corresponding size and shape to the chamber; a heatresistant pan having a lip around its upper peripheral edge; a pansupport rack having horizontal and vertical support structures with thetop horizontal support structure being smaller in diameter than thebottom support structure; the top horizontal support being of acorresponding diameter to the pan to hold the pan in place in a securefashion when the pan is place on the pan support rack; multiple meathooks removable attached to the top horizontal support structure of thedome rack; a tray with folding legs to accommodate the apparatus whenremoved from the existing grill; and a telemetry port with anaccompanying plug or stopper in the side of the smoker chamber.
 2. Theapparatus as in claim 1, further wherein: the chamber being cylindricalin shape.
 3. The apparatus as in claim 1, further wherein: the chamberbeing rectangular in shape.
 4. The apparatus as in claim 1, furtherwherein: the chamber being square in shape.
 5. The apparatus as in claim1, further wherein: the dome rack and the pan support rack correspond inshape to the chamber.
 6. The apparatus as in claim 1, further wherein:the dome rack and the pan support rack are comprised of a heat resistantsubstance that is tubular in structure.
 7. The apparatus as in claim 1,further wherein: the chamber is coated in a heat resistant paint orfinish.
 8. The apparatus as in claim 1, further wherein: the pan supportis of sufficient vertical clearance within the framework of the pansupport to accommodate fuel and smoker chips.
 9. The apparatus as inclaim 1, further wherein: the pan support can be rotated onto its uppersurface and utilized in conjunction with the heat resistant pan in moistgrilling applications.